SAAS companies are making a big shift from outbound marketing to inbound marketing.
Why wouldn’t they? Look at the following stats
Inbound marketing efforts can save up to 61% in costs compared to traditional outbound methods.
59% of marketers believe inbound marketing provides higher quality leads for their sales teams, compared to 16% for outbound marketing.
46% of marketers say that inbound marketing gives higher ROI, compared to only 12% for outbound marketing.
It’s clear that Inbound marketing is not only cheaper to start, but the inbound leads are much better in quality and close quicker than outbound leads.
But how are how are companies making inbound marketing their main game plan? Let’s find out.
What is Inbound Marketing for SAAS?
Inbound marketing is all about attracting potential customers to your software without being pushy. Instead of bombarding people with ads, you’re creating valuable content that draws them in naturally.
Here’s how it works: you create content that’s helpful and relevant to your target audience. This could be blog posts, videos, webinars, or even free tools.
As people find and interact with this content, they’re gradually drawn into your realm. They start to see you as an expert in your field, and they begin to trust your brand.
But it doesn’t stop there. Inbound marketing for SaaS is about guiding potential customers through their entire journey. You’re there to help them at every stage, from when they’re just starting to research solutions, all the way to when they’re ready to make a purchase.
Remember, it’s not just about getting new customers. It’s also about keeping them happy and engaged after they’ve signed up. By continuing to provide value, you’ll turn your customers into loyal advocates for your brand.
So, if you’re running a SaaS company, inbound marketing isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s essential. It’s your ticket to attracting, engaging, and delighting customers in a way that feels natural and valuable to them.
SAAS inbound marketing methodology for saas businesses
The SAAS inbound marketing methodology for SaaS companies in 2024 is centered around creating customer-centric content and providing high value through various stages of the sales cycle. Key elements of this methodology include:
Step 1: Creating content for the buyer committee
The first step in creating content is to recognize the distinct roles within the buying committee of your prospect’s company. These usually include technical, financial, and end-user personas.
Once you’ve identified these personas, it’s essential to thoroughly research and understand their purchasing habits and decision-making processes. This can be achieved through a variety of methods such as surveys, interviews, and data analytics. The objective is to collect tangible evidence regarding their interests, behaviors, and demographics.
After gathering this information, you can tailor specific content formats to meet the unique needs and preferences of each persona.
For instance, those in technical roles may appreciate comprehensive, detailed content such as case studies and whitepapers. On the other hand, those in financial roles might be more interested in content that focuses on return on investment and budget-related matters.
Step 2: Use SEO to drive the right prospects
In 2023, Typeform utilized search engine optimization (SEO) to generate $3 million in annual lifetime revenue through product-led content.This approach focused on driving revenue rather than traffic. The case study highlights the power of SEO in transforming a SaaS company’s lead generation capabilities
Creating valuable, informative content that solves the problems and answers the queries of potential customers is essential. The aim is to develop content that is not only engaging but also serves as a resource for your audience.
To identify what content to create, tools such as Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs can be incredibly useful. These tools aid in pinpointing target keywords and phrases that are relevant to your audience.
Concentrating on long-tail keywords can be particularly effective, as they target specific searches and have less competition.The following is a list of long-tail keywords that I discovered using WriterZen.
For example, a SaaS company offering marketing automation tools can strategically incorporate long-tail keywords like “best marketing automation tools for small businesses” or “automated email campaigns for small businesses” into their page titles, headings, and content body. By doing so, they can signal to search engines that their content is a relevant answer to users’ specific queries, enhancing their search engine rankings and generating more conversions.
Learn more : How to drive organic traffic to a business website in 2024
Step 3: Fill content gaps using keyword research tool
Ubersuggest’s competitor analysis report is a great tool for this purpose as it helps you discover keyword gaps in your content.
Firstly, head over to Ubersuggest and type in the name of one of your competitors. Once you hit enter, you’ll be directed to a dashboard filled with insightful details about your competitor’s website.
On your left, you’ll notice a sidebar. Here, you need to click on the ‘Competitors’ tab. This will lead you to a page presenting a graph and a table.
The table includes columns containing common keywords both you and your competitors rank for. But more importantly, it reveals keyword gaps – these are the keywords your competitors rank for, but you don’t.
By filling these keyword gaps in your content, you can significantly boost your SEO and outperform your competition. So, why wait? Start using Ubersuggest’s competitor analysis report and elevate your content game!
Repurpose the SEO optimized content on Pinterest and Youtube for effective Inbound Marketing
Despite creating SEO-optimized content, it’s common for the traction to fall short of expectations due to the ever-evolving algorithms.
One effective strategy to maximize the value of your content is repurposing it into different formats that could resonate well on platforms like YouTube and Pinterest. It’s important to recognize that Pinterest functions as a visual search engine, while YouTube serves as a search engine specifically for videos.
By understanding the unique features of these platforms, saas companies can broaden their reach and engage with a wider audience.
Repurposing SEO-optimized content on Pinterest can be an effective strategy for SaaS companies looking to expand their inbound marketing efforts. Here’s how you can do it:
First, use the Pin Generator tool. It can scan your website for information and automatically generate Pinterest pins. These pins will use various templates, colors, and images to create diverse content.
You can easily browse through different templates, colors, and images to create unique pins. This allows you to present your content in multiple ways, appealing to different audience preferences.
Customize your pins by adjusting the design settings and templates. This personal touch helps your content stand out and align with your brand identity.
Once you’re satisfied with a pin, select the ‘Auto Pin’ option. This feature allows you to repost the same information but with different templates, colors, and titles each time, keeping your content fresh and engaging.
Set up the auto pin to generate and schedule new pins at regular intervals, such as every 5 days. You can also choose an end date for the auto pin schedule if desired.
After setting up the auto pin, manage and schedule the pins to be posted on Pinterest at specific times. This ensures a consistent presence on the platform without requiring constant manual effort.
Keep track of your pin history, check your remaining pin credits, and adjust scheduled pin times as needed. This helps you maintain an effective and efficient Pinterest strategy.
By repurposing your SEO-optimized content on Pinterest in this manner, you can reach a wider audience and attract more traffic to your SaaS company’s website.
Youtube
Converting a blog post into a video for Youtube using Invideo.ai is a popular trend among businesses and content creators nowadays.
This innovative tool allows you to easily repurpose your SEO-optimized content into engaging videos, saving you time and effort.
- Start by opening Invideo AI and providing a description of your video idea, along with the link to the blog post you want to convert.
- Specify any preferences you have for the video, such as tone, audience, and platforms.
- Choose YouTube as your target platform for sharing the video.
- Tailor the appearance, tone, and audience of the video to match your preferences.
- Invideo AI will generate a script based on your prompt and select relevant stock images and videos to match.
- The AI will also produce a voiceover for the script.
- Use Invideo AI’s magic box to make any changes or edits to the video, such as adjusting voiceover accents, adding subtitles, or changing background music.
- Refine the video until you are satisfied with the result.
- Once finalized, export the video and share it on YouTube for your audience to enjoy.
B2B SAAS Inbound Marketing Strategies
When it comes to B2B SAAS companies, it’s important to focus on creating content that resonates with prospects who are already in the decision-making stage.
While many businesses prioritize top of the funnel and middle of the funnel content, the reality is that most prospects are already aware of the problem and solution – they just need to decide on a provider.
In B2B Inbound marketing for SAAS companies, your strategy should include creating review posts and VS posts that are optimized for search engines. These posts can then be repurposed into videos and pins to reach a wider audience.
Working with influencers in the same space can also be beneficial, as they can write genuine reviews of your product to help spread the word. While this may come at a cost, the results can be highly beneficial.
When creating VS posts, it’s important to position your solution based on the specific problem that your tool excels at solving. This is how you can differentiate yourself and stand out in the competitive B2B SAAS market.
B2C marketing strategies for saas companies
Here, it’s important to focus on creating a wide range of content that caters to different stages of the buyer journey.
Tools like Keyword Chef or Low Fruits can help you gather long-tail keywords to target low-hanging fruit topics in your blogs.
Unlike B2B, B2C marketing allows for more flexibility in covering both the top and bottom of the funnel phases, with the opportunity to promote products contextually on web pages.
Since the sales cycle is typically shorter in B2C, it’s beneficial to create how-to posts and content that caters to all stages of the buyer journey.
By utilizing keyword research tools, you can create specific how-to posts that resonate with your target audience. Additionally, repurposing this content into pins and YouTube videos can further enhance your marketing efforts.
Why is Inbound Marketing for SAAS companies better than Outbound Marketing for SAAS
One of the key advantages of Inbound marketing for SAAS companies is the quality of leads it generates.
Unlike Outbound leads, Inbound leads are already interested in your solution and are attracted to your unique selling proposition. This makes them easier to convert as they require less time and effort from your sales team.
Additionally, in terms of cost, channels like SEO and social media marketing (such as Pinterest and YouTube) are more budget-friendly compared to running PPC campaigns on platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook. Paid ads often result in lower ROI, making Inbound marketing a more cost-effective option.
Furthermore, Inbound marketing focuses on building trust through valuable content, leading to more loyal and long-lasting customers. On the other hand, Outbound marketing tends to be more aggressive and is used for immediate impact rather than fostering long-term relationships.
For SAAS companies looking to attract qualified leads, build trust, and maximize ROI, Inbound marketing proves to be the superior strategy.
Inbound SAAS marketing tools
Utilizing the right tools can make all the difference. Some of the top tools that can aid in B2B marketing include:
Bity: A URL shortening tool that helps manage links effectively.
Gong.io: A platform that can assist with inbound marketing by providing insights and data-driven decisions.
SE Ranking: A tool that can help with SEO optimization and tracking of keyword rankings.
Canva: A graphic design tool that can assist in creating visually appealing content for marketing campaigns.
Invideo.ai: A video creation platform that can help in engaging audiences and promoting products or services effectively through videos. By incorporating these tools into your inbound marketing strategy, SAAS companies can enhance their efforts and drive better results.
